Monthly Archives: March 2015

March 30, 2015

Open Letter to President of Virginia State Bar regarding cancellation of trip to Israel

By davidgroen1

 

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Dear Mr. Martingayle,

Let me start by putting you on notice.  My actions regarding this perversion of ethics will not be limited to this letter.  I intend to take every action necessary to lobby as many people as possible behind the process challenging the Virginia State Bar’s cancellation of its trip to Israel.

I wish to start however by challenging the very ambiguous wording in your statement regarding this matter. You made the following statement. CLICK HERE TO READ HIS STATEMENT

It was stated that there are some unacceptable discriminatory policies and practices pertaining to border security that affect travelers to the nation.

What practices are you referring to exactly?  Are any of these “practices” as you call them recently implemented?  I suppose they must be seeing that I  am certain you would not have made a decision to travel to Israel originally if they were in place at the time. When you say discriminatory do you mean these policies are targeting specific people merely because of what they are or, seeing that you do use the term border security, would these policies indeed be responsible as opposed to discriminatory?  You also say these policies affect travelers to the nation.  Could you please clarify what impact any of these policies would have on any member of the Virginia Bar Association?  Muslims belong to the Israeli Knesset, so I am certain the Muslim members of the Virginia State Bar would not have to be concerned with having their movements restricted.

You went on to say the following:

Upon review of U.S. State Department advisories and other research, and after consultation with our leaders, it has been determined that there is enough legitimate concern to warrant cancellation of the Israeli trip and exploration of alternative locations.

The strain in the relationship between the United States and Israel is well documented, but that didn’t stop me from checking further into your claim.  I know I’m not as smart as you are, after all you are the President of the Virginia State Bar and I’m just some dumb Zionist with a big mouth, but I usually am pretty good at finding information on websites.  I looked on the State Department website and could not find anything resembling these advisories you are referring to in your statement.  Maybe you found them in the same location you found your “other research.”  I’m also curious as to which leaders you are referring to in the statement.  Leaders within the State Bar?  Community leaders? Political leaders? I am not a resident of Virginia but I do believe if you are going to make a statement such as that one, people have a right to know.

The final quote I wish to address is this one:

Undoubtedly, this news will disappoint some VSB members.  But we are a state agency that strives for maximum inclusion and equality, and that explains this action.

I read your subsequent statement clarifying that this is not an anti-Semitic action, and assuming you believe what you are saying I will make the following observation.  Although I have no way of backing up this statement with facts, and unlike some who are far more intelligent than myself I always feel the need to do so, I would guess that the majority of those disappointed by this news are indeed Jewish.  Clearly their needs and desires don’t carry the same weight of the other members the Bar Association is bending over backwards to appease. I speak of the nameless 37 that many claim coerced the State Bar into this decision. If you truly are, as you claim to be a state agency that strives for maximum inclusion and equality, I have two questions for you.  Would this inclusion include giving in to the political demands of a group of people whether their demands were justified or not?  And how does turning your back on the only democracy in the Middle East help to increase this maximum equality you claim is so important?

I am sure when you made this statement you expected controversy, but I am not sure you expected to be challenged on the specifics. For all I know the position of President of the Virginia State Bar is a more ceremonious position and you don’t so much make policy as much as you represent the policy once it is implemented. Maybe you are just following orders.  Of course we all know what happens when people take that approach, and it is nothing resembling “maximum inclusion and equality”.

This action on the part of the Virginia State Bar is without any merit whatsoever and establishes a precedent damaging to the country’s entire legal system.  To take this extreme action against an important ally, and to insult an important segment of the legal community without clear explanation damages the credibility of an organization that is nothing if it is not credible.  I hope you see that, and then I hope you respond, but frankly every element and carefully worded nuance of your statement tells me that you won’t. But with the help of many more who feel as I do, this will not go away.  I care too much about America’s legal system to allow that to happen.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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March 28, 2015

My Evolution to Radical

By davidgroen1

never-sell-a-liberal-the-same-way-as-a-conservative-02-14-2012-road-sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The title is somewhat tongue in cheek because I really don’t see myself as being a radical, but in order to keep the interest of those on the far left who may see me that way, I chose to acknowledge what is very possibly going to be their claim.  The purpose of this piece is to explain how I, David Groen got from Liberal Clinton Democrat who voted for Obama twice, to writing articles and letters that seem to align me far more with the Republican right.  By the time you finish reading, whether you a Conservative or a Liberal I suspect I will surprise you, and very possibly disappoint you.

If it sounds like I am confused let me be clear.  I am more certain of where I stand on most issues than I have been my entire life.  I have not changed my views on some of the most polarizing issues of the day.  As soon as I state my stances on abortion and gay marriage I am certain to get some ire from a large portion of the Conservatives reading this. When I state my views on Israel and Foreign Affairs I am certain to get the same from many of the Liberals.  If this article seems like it is designed to make everyone angry at me, rest assured it is not.  I’m merely someone comfortable expressing his political views and since I try not to be a hypocrite, I see no reason to hide my politics.  In the end it is up to the reader to decide if he or she cares about my views, not me.

Most of the issues I intend to glance over quickly, while those dealing with Israel and Foreign Affairs in particular I will go into more detail. Here are some of the main issues that tend to define today’s Liberal and Conservative, not necessarily in the order stated. My order is based on how much I intend to say about the subject in this particular piece.

 

1-Abortion      2-Gay Marriage       3-Gun Control  

4-Foreign Affairs   5-Israel; (specifically for Jews, but often for non-Jews as well).

 

1-Abortion: I am pro-choice. I believe a woman has the right to decide what to do with her own body.

2-Gay Marriage: I really don’t care who people sleep with and since I believe one of the reasons America is a great country is the separation of Church and State, and since the only reason to ban this is a religious one, I believe it’s not the government’s business.  If a religious institution chooses not to marry gay people they have every right to make that choice.

3-Gun Control: I used to be so anti-gun that I would say that Americans had lost the right to bare arms based on our overall behavior with guns.  I believe strict and enforced regulations are important, but in today’s worldwide political climate I see how the need exists for individuals to carry a gun, and since that may even mean me, it would be hypocritical of me to hold the same views I once held.

Before I go on I will take a moment to explain my voting history back to the first Clinton presidency.  Actually the first part is easy.   For right or for wrong back then I didn’t feel the need to analyze it too deeply. I voted for who I liked the most.  I can say I voted Democrat across the board, and that would be true in local elections, but I also voted for Ronald Reagan(at least I think I did. I may have missed an election).

I liked Bill Clinton. The Monica Lewinsky issue aside, I still do. When Al Gore was running I found myself truly getting excited about politics.  I thought he was going to be a tremendous president. Whether or not I was right or wrong we will never know because Florida and hanging chads happened and George W. Bush became president instead.  With the devastation I felt when Gore did not become president and my 3 straight presidential elections voting Democrat, no one would ever have thought I would ever vote for W. That however, is exactly what happened in the next election. Since I greatly approved of his reaction and handling of 9/11, I voted for him when he ran for a second term.  Besides, I wasn’t particularly impressed with John Kerry anyway.  At least that is something that hasn’t changed.

When Barack Obama first hit the scene I was not a supporter.  But not so much because I had a problem with him, but because I was big time for Hilary.  When he defeated her in the primaries I was uncertain of my vote.  I liked John McCain’s toughness and patriotism but I put a lot of stock in who a candidate chooses for Vice President. So when McCain picked Sara Palin it became a much easier decision for me.  I voted for Obama.  When Obama came up for reelection I once again looked at the opponent.  I didn’t like Mitt Romney at all.  I didn’t believe a word he said.  Not because I believed he was necessarily so much less honest than everyone else, but because it always seemed that whatever he said was only designed to win the election.  I never felt like he was true to anything.  I also held out hope and wanted to believe that Obama did actually like Israel and that the things that looked bad were just part of his strategy to bring peace in the Middle East.  His actions still may be designed with that purpose in mind, but since it looks more and more like he is selling Israel out in whatever this process of his is, I’m subsequently not too happy about that vote.

I can’t tell this history without admitting that in retrospect I made some mistakes, but everyone’s truth is what it is, and this is mine. Who knows?  Maybe this piece will make some people admit votes they otherwise would have kept private.  With that said I go back to my list.

4-Foreign Affairs: On no issue have I “radicalized” more.  We all know the phrase history repeats itself.  I believe that history is not as likely to repeat itself as it is to mimic itself.  The difference may seem subtle but it is extremely significant and very important. As a son of Holocaust survivors, the history of the Jews in Europe has always been doubly personal.  Both as a Jew and as the son of Dutch Jews.  The Nazis rose to power under the unsuspecting noses of a hopeful Europe and somewhat detached America.  By the time it was too late, Hitler had put together a juggernaut of evil and terror that ran over the continent and caused a war that saw the death of tens of millions of people, including 6 millions Jews killed in genocidal manner.  The enemy was devastatingly powerful and ruthless.  The tactics of the Nazis were as evil as anything the world has ever seen. They were organized, cohesive and powerful.  But the allies had one advantage in attacking them. They were based in one country.  Yes there was a 5th column, the “ordinary people” placed in other countries to do a form of reconnaissance, but for the most part Nazi Germany was based out of Germany.  Although today’s evil uses some tactics very similar to the Nazis, and similarly their 2 main enemies are Americans and Jews, Muslim extremists are spread out in so many parts of the world, able to attack in so many different locations at any time, that the rising threat may have similarities to 1930s Europe, but nothing is a better example of history mimicking itself instead of repeating itself as the threats we face today.

That being said, the similarities are significant enough that I have formed the belief that negotiation and trust are just not a reasonable option. It hurts me to say that this is a fight I believe can only be won by force, but what do we see to tell us otherwise?  If we are only looking for history to repeat itself, we can make the argument that this is nothing like 1930s Europe and the rise of Nazism. But the language is similar, the lack of morality which justifies killing is similar, and the growth is even faster.  I don’t want to see innocent people get hurt, but innocent people needed to get hurt in Germany to stop the Nazis, and had that not happened millions of more innocent people would ultimately have gotten slaughtered.  To me and to all civilized people that is something that should be unacceptable.

5-Israel: I have made a very clear statement that I have no intention of wavering from. My next vote for president will be for whichever candidate I believe is most pro-Israel and toughest in foreign affairs.  I have been very vocal in my support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  The other day I decided to listen to a J Street video regarding the need for a two-state Solution.  I think J Street is divisive and disingenuous, but in many ways I don’t believe a desire for a two-state solution is a bad thing necessarily.  Much of the statements in the video carried a lot of merit. The status quo will not be good for Israel.  It does create an even more dangerous future.  The prices that have been paid by so many are very high, and yes, it is a lot easier to speak this way from the United States than it is from Israel.  All that being said, it is not that I am opposed to a two-state solution per se, it is that under the current conditions a two-state solution is not a road to peace, it is a road to another Final Solution, not that different from the one attempted, and carried out to a large extent in devastating fashion by the Nazis against the Jews. 

To make peace you either need more than one willing party or for one party to be significantly stronger.  Those who criticize Israel the loudest do so because Israel, at the moment at least is stuck with the second choice.  Being a more powerful nation Israel is still able to win their wars.  With the lack of a willing peace partner Israel has 2 choices.  Keep the enemy down or die.  Forgive us “radicals” if we find the 2nd choice unacceptable.  No reasonable caring person is blind to the price Israel has to pay.  I can say with utmost confidence that the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Jews worldwide would gladly accept a two-state solution if it was with a party that truly wanted peace with the Jewish people.  If I felt Jewish lives would be saved I would support it.  But I believe, as do many like me, that more Jewish lives would be lost as a result of a two-state solution under the current conditions.  And it’s just plain anti-Israel cynicism to believe it falls solely on Israel to change these conditions.  

I can not and will not be moderate if I feel that a moderate viewpoint puts my people in danger.  

People who truly know Israelis and truly know the Jewish people as a whole, know that we are a people who desire to live in peace.  My lack of moderation is not based on some irrational hatred of Arabs and Muslims, my lack of moderation is based on those in power who talk about wanting to annihilate Israel and murder Jews while declaring a desire for peace for political or public relations expediency.  It’s baffling to me that anyone would believe the intentions of those calling for the murder of innocents were good at all, and to be quite honest it baffles me that the view opposing Israel somehow became one more often affiliated with a liberal status.   Maybe these people need to listen a little more to Alan Dershowitz.

So there you have my evolution to “radical”.  Make no mistake though.  This is one radical that hopes and prays that one day people will wake up and no longer allow their leaders to be preachers of death and destruction.  When that happens I suspect  I will no longer be seen as a radical, for I will be excited and supportive of what would then be a genuine peace process.

 

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March 26, 2015

Open Letter to Lena Dunham

By davidgroen1

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Dear Ms. Dunham,

To be honest with you, I’ve never watched the show Girls.  My understanding is that it is a show which is somewhat controversial inasmuch as it pushes the envelope when it comes to what many consider acceptable behavior.  I really don’t care if it is or not. It’s a TV show which people have the choice of either watching or not.  So whatever role you play in its creation is of no importance to me. When however you transform your celebrity into expressions of anti-Semitism, I not only care, I get deeply embarrassed and infuriated by the fact that the words are actually coming from a woman who is born a Jew.

In your article in the New Yorker Magazine you start by asking the question, Do the following statements refer to a) my dog or b) my Jewish boyfriend?  Your next line should be; He is no longer willing to be associated with me due to mindless and offensive insult of the Jewish people.  If it is your dog that applies to I can understand it, but if it is your boyfriend than I ask myself, why would any decent person, particularly one who is Jewish wish to be that close to you?

You see Ms. Dunham, you’ve crossed the line.  Clearly you think you are funny, but neither I nor many others who think like me are laughing.  In trying to draw a comparison between your dog  and your Jewish boyfriend you are either showing tremendous insensitivity, mind-boggling stupidity, or immense hatred for my, excuse me, our people.  Although I have not watched the show, it is my understanding that it is meant to empower women. Apparently you are a feminist, an idealist, and a thinker.  Or so you claim.  It seems to me that what you might actually be more than any of these things is a hypocrite.

You can’t really claim ignorance.  I am sure you know this is a rough time for the Jewish people.  Anti-Semitism is on the rise, Israel is threatened, and somehow people think it’s OK to treat us anyway they like while talking about us in the most insulting fashion.  As you are a feminist I ask you this; is this how you want women to be treated? With total disregard for their feelings?  With an undignified comparison to a dog?  You claim to be fighting against that sort of thing yet here you are doing it yourself.  Would you show that same insensitivity and thoughtlessness to other women?  What you may be saying, be it consciously or not, is that being a woman is important to you, being a Jew is not.

We live in a global climate in which people who say they want to massacre Jews and annihilate Israel are being considered parties with which to negotiate openly.  It is a world in which a growing number of Muslim extremists believe that Jew are the descendants of pigs and dogs.  Your comments show that standing up for what is right just isn’t as important as you portray it to be, for if it was, you would use your public persona for all things positive, not just for a big paycheck.

Of course you will probably get away with this behavior without any serious consequences because us Jews are not only generally civil in our reactions, to put it in your terms, our bark is a lot worse than our bite.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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March 24, 2015

Letter to the Editor of The Chicago Tribune

By davidgroen1

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Dear Mr. Kern,

I am a firm believer of free speech.  Although I think there are some grey areas when dealing with messages of blatant hate or incitement, I never call for the removal of anyone’s form of expression, regardless of how distasteful it may be to me personally.  That being said, I believe my responses should be given the same respect and consideration.  Since your newspaper made the choice to publish drivel which I believe helps contribute to the destruction of our civilization, I trust you will give my words equal consideration.

I am referring to the cartoon published on March 24 depicting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the creator portrays Netanyahu as saying the words, “the same Bibi who had the Israeli military repeatedly bomb Palestinian hospitals, mosques and schools. Where exactly do they think I stood on a two-state solution?”

I can’t help but wonder the thinking behind publishing this sort of garbage.  Is it considered to be funny?  It certainly isn’t accurate or appropriate.  Last week ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombing in a mosque that killed scores of worshipper.  I wonder how that was dealt with by your newspaper. You see that was an actual specific targeting of worshippers.  It was mass murder for the purpose of destabilization.  Yet somehow I suspect your paper draws some type of moral equivalency between Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza and the actions of a terrorist organization like ISIS.  I suspect this because in publishing this cartoon you have chosen to give a degree of credibility to Hamas, a terrorist organization far more similar to ISIS than you may care to admit.

I do not know you Mr. Kern, so I do not know your personal feelings, but I am addressing you because as the editor you are responsible for what appears in your newspaper.  This cartoon justifies the actions of Hamas, a group cut from the same cloth as ISIS, and with members that would kill you as fast as they would kill me.  Hamas used these locations as human shields in attacking Israeli population centers. Israel’s purpose of bombing Gaza was to stop the attacks on her very own civilians.  You may not want to accept this as fact because then you can’t publish a dumb cartoon attacking Netanyahu, but these are the facts nonetheless, and no skewed political agenda will change that.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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March 23, 2015

Bibi Bashing. It’s all the Rage

By davidgroen1

Europe Gaza Protests

 

 

 

 

I don’t claim to have the entire corner on reality.  Although I am by no means deluded, I am a flawed individual and therefore never claim to be that much smarter than anyone else.  I do know however, that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s not a dog.  No matter how many people say otherwise.

Let me first get something out of the way.  My personal feelings aside, I realize Benjamin Netanyahu is not liked by many people.  He is a strong-minded and ambitious politician who comes off to many as smug and arrogant.  Despite the fact that I do not share their sentiments, I realize there are even people who I have great respect for that feel that way.  That being said, the facts don’t completely change just because of a dislike for a leader’s personality or even his policy.

Popularity or lack thereof often seems to come in the form of a fad. I am by no means saying that there are not many people who have carefully thought out their reasons for bashing Benjamin Netanyahu every opportunity they get, but there are numerous people  out there who have remained silent and are only now speaking loudly about their dislike for the Israeli Prime Minister.  It’s a very polarizing issue.  Families and close friends will disagree vehemently over their feelings for him.  Non-Jews with marginal knowledge of foreign affairs now know who he is, with many having formed an opinion.  As is the case so often, people follow the hoards.

I am baffled by how so much of liberal politics has taken the form of sympathy for the Palestinians against the evil Israeli oppressors. But much of that is also caused by people being followers.  The proof of that lies in the existence of liberals who do indeed support Israel and recognize the fact that Israel lacks a true partner in the peace process.

A friend of mine once said that people buy with emotion and try to back it up with logic.  As the world is being sold a bill of goods regarding the situation in the Middle East, the salespeople are constantly scrambling to back up their anti-Israel rhetoric.  For the sake of making my argument I will pretend I not only dislike Benjamin Netanyahu, but I will go one step further and pretend I don’t agree with his policies.

So I begin by pretending that I agree with the notion that Netanyahu is an arrogant, racist, self-serving politician who has done more to hurt Israel and its relationship with the rest of the world than he has to help it.  I will pretend that I agree with the notion that he has shown American President Barack Obama no respect and is working against him in a way that is diametrically opposed to the great relationship between the United States and Israel.  I am pretending all this is true.  Now that I am doing this I have a few questions.

Has Iran threatened to annihilate Israel?

Has Israel ever suffered attacks from terrorist organizations?  Let be more specific with my question. Has Israel been attacked consistently by terrorists from Lebanon in the North, Gaza in the South, and the Palestinian Authority in the east?

Were there terrorists attacks before Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister?

Did anti-Semitism exist before Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister?

Have offers for peace agreements that could have possibly led to a two state solution been made by Netanyahu governments?

Has the Palestinian Authority repeatedly turned away offers made by Israel?

Was Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formerly a member of the terrorist organization Fatah?

Did Abbas help fund the massacre at the Munich Olympics?

Have close to 200,000 people been killed in Syria’s civil war?

Did Hamas use its people as human shields?

The answer to all these questions is YES.

 

Now I have 2 more questions.

Do most of the people who bash Bibi know the name of the head of ISIS? (without googling)  It’s Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by the way.

Would Israel suddenly have willing peace partners in the region if Bibi was not Prime Minister?

The answer to both those questions is NO.

 

My point is not that Netanyahu is perfect.  I recently had a discussion with someone very close to me who does not share my affection for him at all.  Despite his feelings this person does not bash Bibi for sport.  In fact he clearly gets no pleasure at all in criticizing him.  He has his views, he speaks his views, but then supports Israel and its government with a passion and commitment greater than most of us, myself included.  There’s a difference between being someone with a free voice who utilizes it to criticize their leaders than those who bash a high-profile public figure just because it’s become popular and everyone else is doing it.

No one would ever admit to this, but I’ve watched over the years as opinions get formed, they gain traction, and then all of a sudden countless numbers share these opinions without ever having any facts to back them up.   If you want to disagree with Benjamin Netanyahu and produce facts that back up your argument, than I’ll listen.  If however you want to come at me with a statement like Israel is an apartheid state under Netanyahu, I may just ignore you. If all you can talk about is how evil Bibi is but you say nothing about Syria, ISIS, Boko Haram and many others, I will realize your agenda has nothing to do with bettering the human race.  And I will expect that in many cases, as soon as you find the next fad you’ll probably move on anyway.

 

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March 22, 2015

Open Letter to My Fellow Jew

By davidgroen1

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Dear Friends,

I write this letter out of concern for our well-being.  There is a great division growing within our people. We have always been somewhat at odds with each other when it comes to religious observance, something that is still an issue, but of greater significance today is the schism in political viewpoints and the general direction in which our people will not only move forward, but survive.

I call myself a citizen of the world.  I see all people as being equal.  That being said, I have a tremendous pride and love for what I am and where I come from.  I love the Jewish people with all my heart and soul and want to see us thrive in a safe and prosperous world.  This feeling, one shared by so many others, is what drives my political viewpoints.  I am quite certain that there are countless more of my fellow Jews whose love of their people also drive their political opinion, be it identical or very different from mine.

I am very passionate about my views.  I believe, as I am sure so many of you do as well, that there is a tremendous amount at stake at this moment in time.  And like so many of you, I believe my views are the correct ones.  If I did not, I would not hold them.  If I did not, I would not passionately speak them. To me, as I am sure it is to many of you, this is not about me being heard or having intellectual discourse.  To me this is about survival.

We do not have to agree with the method, but we must always remember to agree with the goal.  We must make a concerted effort not to fight among ourselves because as we know all to well, there are plenty of people out there who are more than happy to fight us, hurt us, and kill us.

We must not fall victim to the devious methods and strategies of our enemies.  We must support the one Jewish government in the world and show respect for it leaders whether they hold the views we do or not.  No matter how much one might feel a strategy of an Israeli leader is counterproductive, it is far more counterproductive to work against him.  Please remember one extremely important fact.  Our enemies have always worked against Israel’s leaders, be they left-wing or right-wing, and to believe that has suddenly changed is a potentially devastating and incorrect assumption.    I am not asking all of you to agree with Benjamin Netanyahu or even like him, but as long as he is the Prime Minister of Israel, I pray that you will support and respect him.

I end with one last message.  Next time you have reason to be angry at one of your fellow Jews over a difference of opinion, take a step back and realize that with our unity we get strong and with our division we get weak.  If you are angry and wish to fight, fight those who wish to truly harm you. Debate your fellow Jew but do so with respect and kindness.  Investigate and identify who your enemies are, and when you do you may come to the conclusion that your enemy is not your fellow Jew who disagrees with you.  I for one certainly hope that you do come to that conclusion.

I wish you all well.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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March 19, 2015

Open Letter to the Editorial Board of the NY Times regarding article about Israeli Elections

By davidgroen1

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Dear Editorial Board,

The first 3 words of this letter already tells so much of the story.  To be forced to start a letter “Dear Editorial Board” makes you wonder why no individual had the intestinal fortitude to use his or her name when going on the attack as they did against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu one day after his election victory.  For those of you reading on this self-perceived holier than thou and smarter than the rest of us board, here is how criticism is given when you are not afraid to stand by your convictions.

My name is David Groen.  I am a proud American, a proud Jew, and proud Zionist. I am also an ardent supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu who found your editorial titled “An Israeli Election turns ugly” to be not only offensive, but skewed to suit your political agenda and a contradiction to the factors that make democracy great.

CLICK HERE TO READ NY TIMES ARTICLE

Israel is not only a great democracy, it is the only real democracy in the Middle East.  You speak of Benjamin Netanyahu as though he is some fascist dictator on the rise.  This is a man who leads a nation constantly under attack from terrorist organizations and threats from rogue nations such as Iran calling for its annihilation.  Yet somehow you have a problem with Netanyahu trying to defeat the Arab vote knowing full well that their agenda would be to go against his political strategy of how to keep Israel safe and secure.  I’m not debating whether or not his strategy is right or wrong because this letter is not so much to debate his tactics, it is to debate yours.

There is no evidence that voters were harassed, be they left-wing Jews or Arabs, and no reason to believe this was an election ripe with any significant corruption. What it was instead was an example of an ambitious politician using democracy to his advantage.  It is almost comical to me that the NY Times, that great defender of freedom and civil rights would have a problem with democracy functioning on a prime level.  No one forced anyone to vote for Prime Minister Netanyahu.  The Arab population had a big vote in the election.  Their representative party has seats in the Knesset.  They have a say and a role in the Israeli political system.  How many Arab nations have Jewish representation?  None.  Because in most Arab nations the Jews were run out of town.  If “you” don’t like Benjamin Netanyahu that’s fine.  Just don’t attack him for utilizing his country’s democratic structure.

Which bring me back again to that question.  Who is the “you” in all this? Who am I actually writing to? The entire Editorial Board is in agreement on this issue?  How about signing all of your names to it so we know how many of you there are and know you are all in agreement.  Not because I believe there should be anything heinous done to you, but because if you are to criticize someone who speaks to the people just because you are upset he got what he wanted, don’t you think you should at least let everyone know who you are when you criticize him?  To hide behind the title “Editorial Board” is a level of hypocrisy that totally destroys any credibility you have left.  Whoever “you” actually are.

What Benjamin Netanyahu did this election was nothing different from what any other politician would do in any democracy.  He did what he felt he had to do to win.  Creating this perception that his words were racist attacks on the Arab population of Israel is either irresponsible on “your” part, or even worse, an attempt at manipulating the minds of your audience.  But here is the difference between “you” and me.  I accept your right to do this in a democratic society with free speech, and when I don’t like “your” methods, I sign my name to my criticism.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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March 18, 2015

How Bibi represents Millions of Jews with a New Mentality

By davidgroen1

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I am not a hero.  Nor am I a military man.  I am however the son of Holocaust survivors.  I am not merely comfortable, I am compelled to stand up in front of people and say that the Jewish people will no longer be pushed around and expected to capitulate to the demands of those with no regard for our safety and well-being.  I know that many Jews of today feel as I do.  We may or may not be great fighters, but in a larger number than maybe any time in our history we are, as a group, prepared to stand up and declare that the days of Jews being victims are over.  As we do so today we do so with a leader who represents that attitude, not just for the people of Israel, but for Jews worldwide.  That leader is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I am very aware of the fact that not everyone feels that “Bibi”, the nickname Netanyahu is often referred to, represents them, but to millions of Jews worldwide he represents us in a way I have not seen in my lifetime.  Jews tend to be divided.  It must be in our DNA. However, for as long as I can remember the division has been based more on religious observance than on political viewpoints.  What Bibi does is transcend that divide by often making it about neither one of those factors.

In being what is clearly a proud Jew, evident by being someone who goes to the Western Wall to pray after an election victory, Bibi makes us feel that who he is and where he comes from is as important to him as it is to so many of us.  When speaking about the security and safety of the Jewish people he does so in a way we know that the majority of Israelis would agree with.  Politically many might not agree with his methods, and many don’t even like him personally, but I have no doubt that most if not all want Israel to be safe and secure.

What Bibi does when he speaks is give the Jewish people a sense of unity and I dare say even nationalism.  I know some of the strongest haters of the Jewish people and Israel see our nationalism as the problem and even racist in nature, but they conveniently forget that it works in conjunction with an Israeli government with many Arab citizens being represented politically in a free and democratic society.  Are there any Arab nations that can say the same?  Today, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, more and more people are willing to stand up and say, Israel is our country, but even more significantly stand up and say, we as Jews will no longer be doormats.

I know there are many of us who might not put up a significant fight on a personal level, but with the power of the numbers behind us we have the courage to stand up as one.  The importance of leadership in making people feel this way is more that significant, it’s critical.  I know I am not alone when I say Bibi empowers me to feel that way as a Jew.

I go back again to the conversation I once had with my mother who is 93 and a Holocaust survivor from Holland who once told me that today reminds her of 1938.  I challenged her on that statement saying that today is different because we have the State of Israel.  I would add that today is also different because of one other reason. We have Benjamin Netanyahu.

I commend the people of Israel for making the right choice, and hope to see Bibi lead all the people of Israel to a safer and more secure future.

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March 18, 2015

Thank God!

By davidgroen1

Netanyahuvictoryspeech397260_20150317_234829

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve never been shy when it comes to showing my support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau.  I’m also not considered to be someone who is ever at a loss for words.  That being said, after Netanyahu’s victory in today’s election, with all that was at stake for Israel, the Jewish people, the region and the entire world, the only thing that needs to said is this.  Thank God!  Let’s pray that Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to be blessed with the wisdom and strength to do what needs to be done.

 

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March 15, 2015

Petition Regarding State Department Involvement in Israel’s Political System

By davidgroen1

Flag of Israel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This petition is a non-partisan demand to answers regarding the State Department’s involvement into internal matters of Israeli politics.  It has come to light that money has been used to fund an organization called the One Voice Movement created to oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION.

This is a serious matter that should be of concern for anyone who is Pro Israel regardless of whether they support Netanyahu or not. This information has been exposed less than 2 weeks since the Israeli Prime Minister’s message to Congress which the administration opposed because of a policy of not hosting a foreign head of state during that nation’s election process.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION

The questions we want answered are as follows:

How does the State Department justify this funding in conjunction with a policy of non-involvement?

By what right does an American administration use government funding to influence the citizens of another country against its current leader?

What is the desired outcome of this attempted influence?

While the current administration appears to be bending over backwards to deal with a regime in Iran that sponsors terrorism worldwide, to learn that there was financial backing provided to support ousting Israeli’s current government is not only inconsistent with the administration’s actions, but to many of us unacceptable.

Whether we come from the United States or not, whether we are Democrat or Republican and whether we support Benjamin Netanyahu or not, for the security of Israel’s future it is more than reasonable that we expect honest and transparent answers to these questions.

Please sign this petition if you support this cause.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION

Global Coalition for Israel

 

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